DANA POINT, CALIF. - Four new rules concerning player safety were adopted by the NFL owners Tuesday morning.

One is designed to protect defenseless receivers from all contact to the head area - from a defender's helmet, forearm or shoulder. A "defenseless receiver" is defined as a player who is attempting to catch a pass, before they land their feet on the ground and begin to make a football move.

Another rule prohibits contact to the head area on blindside blocks. Both instances would be 15-yard penalties.

The other two rules deal with special teams formations, eliminating the "bunch" formation on onside kicks and eliminating a "wedge" involving more than two players on kickoff returns.